The present invention relates to a dispensing device for dispensing a product into a toilet bowl. The device may be used to dispense any desired material into a toilet bowl, for example a cleaning agent, a disinfectant, a fragrance, a colorant, a descaler, or any combination thereof, or any other material useful in the context of sanitary ware. The device may desirably be positioned within the toilet bowl for activation when the toilet is flushed.
The device employs osmosis to provide the motive dispensing force. The use of osmosis in dispensing products is known. Two such devices are described in WO94/23765 and WO96/41621. In both of these devices an air freshener is continuously introduced onto a surface for dissemination into the environment by evaporation. There is a need to supply an active agent to an aqueous environment, such as for example a toilet bowl, intermittently. Neither of these two devices would be suitable for this purpose. It is an object of the invention to provide a dispensing device to satisfy the above need. DE-C-4323692 discloses a device for dispensing a product into a toilet bowl each time the toilet is flushed by virtue of the flush water washing over the product.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dispensing device for dispensing a product into a toilet bowl, the device comprising a housing defining a first compartment in which product to be dispensed is in operation disposed, a second compartment adjacent the first compartment in which an expandable material is to be disposed, a partition disposed between the first and second compartments, a container disposed adjacent the second compartment, a semi-permeable membrane disposed between the second compartment and container through which fluid may migrate from the container to the second compartment to increase, in operation, pressure in the second compartment, which pressure may be transmitted through the partition to displace product to be dispensed from the first compartment, wherein the dispensing device has means for securement to a toilet bowl in such a manner that flush water charges the container.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of delivery of said product into a toilet bowl, the method comprising locating a device of the first aspect on the toilet bowl such that the container receives flush water and thereby causes said product to be dispensed intermittently or continuously into the toilet bowl.